My ideas for GIS and CAD integration, discussion, tips and work flow suggestions.

March 01, 2013

Using Esri Data Models In CAD: BISDM

My sister-in-law was upset,
and she went on to share that her trauma was caused from the slow deliberate disapproving head-wag from another driver because she had mistakenly entered an
unfamiliar one-way driveway in the wrong direction. We could feel the weight of this heartless
condemnation as we all practiced in unison the gesture while listening to her
story.Then just last week I was dropping off my daughter for music
lessons and drove into an unusual one-way portion of a parking lot that essentially formed an alleyway. I turned into the
path and was met with the thin-faced scowl and accompanying head-wag of another
driver already confidently committed head-on in the other direction. I was stripped bare of all person-hood as the
driver slowly and contemptuously passed judgment with unyielding eye contact. Because of my recent awareness of this exact
situation, I was nervously amused at the scene, I responded with my best I'm-really-sorry-try-to-have-a-nice-day-anyway smile I could muster.It wasn't till I picked up my daughter an
hour later that I notice the bright white arrow that I had driven over… that
completely vindicated me from any wrong doing!The same white arrow that pointed back at my accuser once she passed my
car, after I had to back up to let
her pass.

Sometimes there is not a bold
white painted arrow to point the way.
And even then sometimes I miss it.
One thing that helps me create quality GIS data in CAD are the standard Esri
Industry data-models.

Recently I needed to create some GIS-Ready data for managing building interior spaces.

I can generate AutoCAD drawings that contains any of
my project's GIS data schema for use in ArcGIS for AutoCAD by employing the ArcGIS Desktop
geoprocessing tool EXPORT TO CAD (not just Esri Industry Models). I can export a small sample data set or even
a blank selection set of any GIS data I like, and the resulting AutoCAD file
will contain a schema of data that can be used and populated by data using
ArcGIS for AutoCAD.

I save this information in
a template file which ensures that whenever I generate this kind of GIS data in
AutoCAD I will be using the same schema used by the GIS folks in my project. I downloaded some
sample data on Esri.com's data model pages and then exported it to an AutoCAD
drawing using my copy of ArcMap. Now I
have the BISDM data model I can use in AutoCAD to create floor plan data for
managing interior spaces that I know will work great with the existing GIS data. I've done the same thing for the Esri water
model.

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About Me

Don has 26 years of CAD/GIS/Engineering integration experience and is currently the technical product manager for CAD interoperability at ESRI, Redlands CA. He has a degree in Civil Engineering and has worked in Municipal Engineering, with two different State Transportation Departments, for a Civil Engineering software company, and as the Sr. software applications specialist for a private engineering firm.